Convertible chair



April 17, 1934- A. w. EDBERG Er AL CONVERTIBLE CHAIR Filed Oct. 7, 1932 N m. W M 34m/U d ,wimMM n/U f/aL HJ M 7. 0 n f wm m W n w w, H. 9 n/nMDn 5 Patented pr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES CONVERTIBLE CHAIR Alfred W. Edberg, Marion F. Latora, and Raymond F. Shultz, Spokane, Wash.

Application October '1, 1932, Serial No. 636,652

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to convertible chairs and more particularly to a chair that is readily converted from a rocking chair to a non-rocking chair and vice versa. Certain objects of the invention are to provide a chair that is readily converted from a rocking to a non-rocking chair by simply moving a lever. Further objects are to provide a chair which rocks on its own base thus eliminating damage to polished floors and providing a smooth and easy rocking movement for the chair. Still further objects are to provide specially constructed triple jointed hinges for limiting the rocking movement, guide plates for retaining the rockers in alignment with the base,

and coiled springs for holding the base and frame together when the chair is lifted from the floor.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, adap- '20 tation, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing; wherein: Figure 1 is a general view in perspective of the chair with parts broken away to show the rocker arrangement; Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of the lower portion of the chair; and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the lower framework and associated parts.

Referring in detail to the drawing throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the upper main portion of a chair which may resemble any overstuifed or other type of chair that is adapted for the novel purposes hereinafter set forth. The main portion of the chair is erected on a rectangular bottom frame 6 which is disposed directly below the seat thus making this portion of thechairsomewhat shorter in a vertical direction than an ordinary chair. Said rectangular bottom frame is provided with the usual bottom member 7 on which the cushion springs rest. A skirt 8, made of thin boards secured to the side members of the bottom frame 6 and covered by the extension of the chair covering, extends downward at some length from said bottom frame for the purpose of concealing the rocker arrangement.

The rocker arrangement comprises a rocker 9 secured to the bottom of each side of the bottom frame 6. These rockers rest and rock on the side members of a base frame 10 which is supported on legs 11. The rectangular dimensions of said base frame are slightly less than those of i the bottom frame 6 so thaty the skirt 8 will have suflicient clearance during the rocker movement as will be understood. A guide plate 12 is secured to the inside of each of the rockers and extends downward in slidable engagement with the inside of the side base frame members and between a pair of screws 13 secured thereto, thus 60 preventing lateral movement and displacement or slidable creeping movement of the rockers on the base frame 10. Specially constructed forward and rear triple jointed hinges 14 and 15 respectively are connected to the bottom frame 6 at 16 and to the base frame 10 at 17. Said hinges serve to retain the rockers in alignment with the base frame and prevent excessive up and down rocker movement. The rear hinge 15 may be slightly shorter than the forward hinge to prevent binding and due to the fact that the rear arcuate movement of the rockers ordinarily is slightly less than their forward arcuate movement. Strong coiled springs 18 have their upper ends secured to the bottom frame 6 and their 75 lower ends secured to the base frame 10 on both sides. Said springs may be filled with lubricated fabric to prevent squeaking and are disposed centrally of said frames and hold the two frames together when the chair as a whole is raised from 30 the floor.

The means for converting the chair from a rocking chair to a non-rocking chair and vice versa comprises a forward pair of hook lever members 19 and a rear pair of hook members 20. All of said hook members are pivotally connected to the sides of the base frame 10 at 21 and their upwardly extending hooked ends are adapted to catch over the heads of screws 22 iixed to the rockers 9 whereby the chair is converted into the non-rocking type. The forward hooks 19 are each fixed to the ends of a transverse rod 23 and the forward and rear hooks on each side are pivotally connected at 24 to the ends of longitudinal rods 25. t will thus be '95 seen that thefour hooks are quadralaterally connected and that movement o1" one or the hooks causes all of the hooks to move in unison. Therefore one of the forward hook members is provided with a depending handle 26, as most l clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and by moving said handle forward all of the hooks are disengaged from the screws 22, as shown in dotted lines, thus converting the chair into the rocker type. Reverse or rear movement of said handle, of course, causes the hooks to again take hold of the screws thus re-converting the chair into the non-rocking type.

It will now be apparent that we have provided a chair that is neat in appearance, which rocks CIK on its own base frame thus eliminating any damage or marring of polished iioors, which is smooth and easy in its rocking movement, and which may be converted into a rocking or a non-rocking chair by merely moving a lever handle.

Having thus described our invention, it being understood that minor changes may be resorted to in its construction and arrangement without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America 1s:-

A convertible chair comprising an upper main portion having a rectangular bottom frame, rockers secured to said bottom frame, a 'rectangular base frame supporting the rockers, a skirt extending downward from the bottom frame and concealing the base frame, guide plates secured to the inside faces of the rockers and extending downward in engagement with the inside faces of the base frame whereby the rockers and base are retained in alignment, screw pins secured to the rockers and engaging the forward and rear edges of the guide plates whereby forward and rear movement of the rockers relative to the base frame is prevented, a hook member pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base frame on each side each having a depending lever handle extending below the base frame, a transverse rod having each of its ends respectively xed to said hook members, a hook member pivotally connected to the rear portion of the base frame on each side, screw pins fixed to the rockers and arranged to be engaged by the hook portions of said hook members, and a connecting rod on each side having its ends pivotally connected to the forward and rear hook lmembers whereby forward pivotal movement of one of the lever handles depending from the forward hook members causes all the hook members to be 'disengaged from the screw pins and whereby the chair is converted from a stationary to a rocking chair.

ALFRED W. EDBERG.

MARION F. LATORA.

RAYMOND F. SHULTZ. 

